Is Gran Gran a Cougar?
by inktica
Summary: How will Sokka and Katara react when their new step-granddad moves in to the igloo? Will Zuko have his heart broken by an unexpected love rival? Answers: badly and yes


**Is Gran Gran a Cougar?**

How will Sokka and Katara react when their new step-granddad moves in to the igloo?

Will Zuko have his heart broken by an unexpected love rival?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender *weeps*_

_Author's Note: Credit goes to Jinkly Jinko for the boiled sweet bit XD_

She had just been a random old person he had yanked from the crowd to frighten the peasants on that fateful day that he had first laid eyes on the Southern water tribe. But she had since become much more than that. Oh yes, she had found her way into his heart and made it burn white-hot with a passion that Zuko had never felt for anyone.

His heart still skipped a beat when she handed him a bowl of stewed sea prunes and their fingers accidentally touched. Sometimes he caught himself just looking into her sky-blue

eyes thinking of nothing but feeling everything.

They were watching the glorious sunrise from the upper deck of his battle ship.

"Zuko?" Her voice was so sweet; so full of need.

He took her hand and held it tenderly. "Yes my love?"

"Have a boiled sweet."

She felt the softness of his hand, the smooth skin. Inwardly she sighed, she knew her own hand was wrinkled and callused with age. There were just so many years between them…

"Zuko, you're so young. I can't do this to you. You have your whole life ahead of you. You shouldn't be spending it with someone like me."

Zuko smiled at her warmly and spoke over the top of the lolly rolling around in his mouth, "I know I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I want spend every day of it with you. I've been thinking, who cares about the avatar or my father or the Fire Nation? I don't think I ever want to go back. I don't need to, now that I've found you. I want to live by your side and stay here forever."

"I'm thinking of my grandchildren as well. They have had so much instability in their lives. Their mother was killed and their father is away fighting the Fire Nation. It's been hard bringing them up. I always decided that I would never introduce them to any of my… suitors. I just don't think they could handle it if they got to know you and things didn't work out between us and you left. It would be too much for them to lose another father figure."

"You don't have to worry about that. I promise you, I will never leave you. We can raise them together until their father returns." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her tightly as though he would never let her go.

For the first time in years, Gran Gran felt safe.

Zuko hung his spare suit of armour up in the closet and looked around his new home. It was warmer than he thought it would be but then he wondered whether the warmth came from within him, from the love and the happiness in his heart.

"So, making yourself comfortable are you?"

Zuko turned, his reverie shattered by the obvious malice in the voice.

"Sokka, I told you, it will take some time getting used to this new change in your life. But soon, you will see that I love your Gran Gran very much and maybe someday we might even become good friends." Zuko tried to place an affable hand on Sokka's shoulder but the boy brushed it off with contempt.

Katara appeared from around the doorway where she had been listening, "Just don't think you can replace Father because you can't!"

The siblings stormed off and Zuko sighed, his heart heavy, full of doubts about his ability to pull it all together.

He needed to be with his love, she could always make him feel good again.

He searched the rooms of the igloo, they were empty. He wondered whether she might be in the marketplace but he couldn't find her there either.

He started to worry; it was getting late, could something have happened to her? Fear gripped him as he hurried through the village, then he heard her voice, coming from one of the tents. Filled with relief he slowed down.

He opened up the tent flaps to see…

"What? Gran Gran! Why?" His voice twisted with pain at the sight of his beloved in the arms of another.

She turned to him, revealing who it was that was with her…

"Uncle! How could you!"

With disbelief and horror, Zuko ran out into the cold bitter night. It had started to snow as he roared out his fury and despair in hot orange flames that lit up the darkness, and then faded away.


End file.
